Are the Holidays About Family or Materialism?

For most people, the holidays are a time to celebrate faith, family, friendship, and tradition. Unfortunately, a new tradition has evolved over the years that completely adulterates the meaning behind our celebrations.

The new, unsettling tradition of overly-consumerist activity and complete commercialization of our respective holidays is in full-effect. This should be no surprise to any American who has stepped foot inside a mall since the start of November. The holiday shopping season begins earlier every year and comes to an absolute high on one renowned day - Black Friday.

I tried to understand Black Friday, I really did. I attempted to attach some sort of justification to this day I associated only with utter madness. It seemed my attempts were futile because after much thought, I can honestly say that there are few things I would enjoy less than standing in a on Black Friday surrounded by hundreds of crazed shoppers making aggressive strides toward their beloved “sale items”. The vision itself is enough to make my stomach uneasy.

My absolute disgust with the entire idea behind Black Friday is not going anywhere. I cannot help but to be passionately against a day supporting fundamental ideas I strongly disagree with. By no means am I offended by the notion of our role as consumers in this capitalist society, but it is our distorted perception of what that role should entail that distresses me.

Black Friday embodies that distorted perception. It is a blatant display of the masses being easily manipulated by large businesses. Especially in this economy, many people are quick to jump on whatever “deals” they are offered. This manipulation leads to excessive spending on items people either can not afford or don’t need.

It exemplifies our never-ending desire for “stuff” even to the point of violence. There have been numerous accounts of violence associated with Black Friday, some even resulting in death. Have we as a society placed more value on a material item such as a flat-screen TV than on a human life? With knowledge of atrocities like this, it is hard to see the ever-growing materialistic aspect of our society as anything but a plague.

However, there are ways to partake in the holiday tradition of gift-giving on a more responsible level. Attend sale events like Black Friday with a conscience and make sure you aren’t susceptible to the frequent lies of advertising. Support your local economy by buying from small businesses in your community and become aware of where your money is actually going. It is time to rethink the holiday shopping experience and focus on the meaning behind where and what you are purchasing.